LANDLORD POT BYLAW SNARES FIRST VICTIM

Abbotsford Police have submitted their first invoice that takes advantage
of a controversial bylaw - allowing the department to bill landlords or
homeowners for added costs from busting pot grow-ops.

A measure passed by city hall in January now permits the police to charge
for additional costs they incur in making a second pot bust at a property.

The owner of the home at 3130 Babich St. has been identified by police
following a bust on Feb. 7 and another a month ago, on June 26.

Abbotsford Police Const. Shinder Kirk said the owner will receive a $1,300
bill to cover 'extraordinary' costs from the second raid, including
officers' overtime.

Kirk also said two more police claims, for separate incidents, were in the
pipeline.

City hall records show the owner of the property at 3130 Babich St. is Tung
Dao, and they state the owner also lives at the address.

When the Abbotsford News called there yesterday, a woman briefly answered
the door but said she could not understand the questions put to her.

She did not confirm whether or not she was Dao.

Barb Hofley, who lives opposite the house, said it had been put up for sale
after the second raid.

She also backs the bylaw, believing it is the right approach to put fines
in place.

'I also think they should mop up what's inside the house and fine them for
that as well,' she said.

'I do not think the police should be paying for it, because that means we
are paying for it.

'I think it is wonderful - everyone round here thinks it is.'

Hofley said a number of neighbours had been keeping tabs on vehicles
entering the property on behalf of the police.

She said there had been a series of vehicles driving to and from the house
before the latest bust, mainly at night.

'Everyone wants them out - this used to be a good neighbourhood,' she said.

A second neighbour, who did not wish to be named, also believes fines are
the way forward.

However, he did not think they stretched far enough.

'I do not think it is enough, because if that place has been broken into
twice, they might have made $120,000 between times,' he said.

The man has lived on the street since 1989, and said the neighbourhood had
been relatively trouble-free.

'It just takes one bad apple,' he said.

Bylaw 1079-2001, the Abbotsford Controlled Substance Property Bylaw, was
adopted by city council on Jan. 28.

It describes 'extraordinary' costs as works and services that involve
dismantling, disassembling, cleaning up, transporting, storing and
disposing of equipment, substances and materials.

The issue was debated at length by Abbotsford councillors at the end of
last year.

Coun cillors Mark Warawa, Moe Gill and John Redekop voiced opposition to it
last October, with Redekop failing in his bid to put the issue to public
hearing.

He did not believe it fair to automatically charge a landlord when he/she
was not necessarily aware of criminal activity.

In early January, a woman urged council to press forward with the measure
after claiming the same Taylor Road property had been raided by police four
times in six years.

At the time, local councillors held off a decision pending the outcome of a
court challenge into a similar bylaw in Surrey.

That bylaw was not challenged, and reports were made to city hall that
Surrey's police force had recouped $45,000 after its introduction.

For Surrey landlords, many of them absentee, it resulted in bills ranging
from $500 to $2,500, depending on the size of the operation and amount of
clean up required.